35 posts in this topic

He is EASILY one of our 11 best forwards when everyone is healthy (let alone top 12)... the fact he's been a healty scratch at ALL is a problem... I love the way Miller and Emmerton have been playing and they've both shown they deserve to play, so it's a difficult situation, but Eaves flat out should never be a healthy scratch... I'll go one further that he needs to see PP time, yes, I said it. Babs wants another R handed shot on the point for the PP - problem solved.

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I know it sucks but that's our problem right now. DEPTH. I like having this problem though. I also agree that Homer should be scratched more giving some of the younger guys a chance. Miller and Emmerton have both looked good. Quite surprised to see Miller scratched last game vs Minnesota. And so much for Eaves being on the top line. I honestly think he could hold his own there but gotta let Babs do what Babs does best.

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Eaves was terrible his first game, but has looked good recently. I still think a rotation with Miller, Eaves, Brunnstrom, Emmerton is the best thing right now for the team to keep everyone as fresh as possible.

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I agree. I think Eaves needs to dress every night. I don't think that Homer should be in the rotation for who's a healthy scratch UNLESS Babcock insists on keeping him on the fourth line. If he plays with Pavel and/or Zetterberg and he is regularly used on the PP, then he needs to play every night. But he has no chemistry on the fourth line, and in that case, switch him out for someone else that might click better.

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To me Miller and Eaves have always been redundant, so when working in games for homer and later Murs it is either to sit one of Miller or Eaves. And that is their collective problem. Miller will come out and have a couple of great games and a thread like this will pop up again.

To me it is a great problem to have, they are pushing each other to be better and better.

I think eventually these two and Emmerton will be the steady fourth line, but it is tough to leave homer out all of the time. He brings a very specific skill set that no one else brings. Plus they can always re-unite him with D and Z and know they will have chemistry.

When Murs is back the problem becomes even larger, but depth is always a good problem top have.

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Resting/benching Eaves doesn't really mean he's not in the top 12. He's a known quantity, whereas Babcock still wants to know what he's getting with Emmerton and Brunnstrom.

With the depth we have, we should view a healthy scratch in a different light than we have in past seasons. I'm all for using our depth to give regular players a breather now and then. Just due to leadership issues, I might not go as high as Dats or Z, but why not use our depth to give Flip or Clears a game or two off? 82 games is a lot of games.

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He's part of the rotation of fourth-liners and he's $1.2 million on the cap for the next three years. I saw the last 40 minutes last night and I didn't see him do anything a good fourth liner can't do. He's not the irreplacable central cog some have been making him out to be for the last year. The team is 4-0 and looked fresh in the last period and OT, so they are doing something right with the layers they use.

I like him and I think he's useful most of the time, but I just don't get the man-crush.

He is EASILY one of our 11 best forwards when everyone is healthy (let alone top 12)... the fact he's been a healty scratch at ALL is a problem... I love the way Miller and Emmerton have been playing and they've both shown they deserve to play, so it's a difficult situation, but Eaves flat out should never be a healthy scratch... I'll go one further that he needs to see PP time, yes, I said it. Babs wants another R handed shot on the point for the PP - problem solved.

He is too good to not play.

The Wings haven't had a lot of power plays in his games, so it's almost a moot point. With the Wings only getting seven power plays in the two games he's played, I'd rather see the guys that have been on the PP for the last ten years (Lids, Dats, Homer, Z, etc) get that time.

I also think he's a much better PK player than on the PP, as his shot isn't the most accurate and his ability to deflect the puck from in front hasn't been tested or utilized.

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It’s a good team problem to have. Eaves Vs Miller Vs Homer. And that’s not even counting Brunnstrom and a healthy Mursak. It also doesn’t make it easier when Hudler’s producing because scratching him, as was the case last year in multiple games, is not an option.

I think this gives the Wings one key advantage: rest Holmstrom as much as possible throughout the year. He’ll have lot’s of jump in the playoffs.

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He's part of the rotation of fourth-liners and he's $1.2 million on the cap for the next three years. I saw the last 40 minutes last night and I didn't see him do anything a good fourth liner can't do. He's not the irreplacable central cog some have been making him out to be for the last year. The team is 4-0 and looked fresh in the last period and OT, so they are doing something right with the layers they use.

I like him and I think he's useful most of the time, but I just don't get the man-crush.

The Wings haven't had a lot of power plays in his games, so it's almost a moot point. With the Wings only getting seven power plays in the two games he's played, I'd rather see the guys that have been on the PP for the last ten years (Lids, Dats, Homer, Z, etc) get that time.

I also think he's a much better PK player than on the PP, as his shot isn't the most accurate and his ability to deflect the puck from in front hasn't been tested or utilized.

I was suggesting he be used on the point on the PP, not take time away from our forwards... also, playing the PP doesn't mean one can't also be used on the PK... I'd like to see him see 4th line, PK AND PP minutes, that should average about 12-14 mins a night...

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Agree with OP. Patty Eaves is just someone you love to have on the 3rd or 4th line who plays very solid in every area of the game , great wrister, whats not to love? just dont use him in a shootout ;] seriously though, Eaves is one of my favorite Wings and i am pumped he signed with us for a 3 year deal

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I'd say Kronwall's shot is just as accurate and that is HUGE praise, but that's how far I think his game has evolved in that area...

I don't know about that, I think Kronwall still has more of a tendency to shoot high and wide. But also, he is less of a fan of shooting from the point and likes to jump into the slot way more often than Nick -- although his goal so far this season says otherwise.

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Here's the problem: the Wings have too many NHL forwards, NHL defensemen and if you ask Larsson's agent they've also got one too many NHL goalies. Who do you cut to make room for these guys? The first response around here would normally be Hudler but his play so far makes that impossible.

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Emmerton has played surprisingly well, but its about time Babs did this - If he wants Miller in, then he plays center, simple as that... Eaves should never be a healthy scratch and as he showed last year, can really perform when he's given consistent ice time

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I just don't want to see Homer anymore. Father time has come, Eaves needs to play every game. The guy just hustles, PKs great, blocks shot and his shot can come in handy if he gets some room to take it.

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